Automobile-wheel.



No. 822,665. PATENTEDJ-UNE 5, 1906. J C HIGDON AUTOMOBILE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTl z3, 1905.

:of St. Louis,

The

AIO

'may be applied to the hubs of i Specification of Letters lPatient:

Application lled September 23, 1905. -Seriall-l'alilit). l i

T all whom t may concern,.-

l Be it known that I, JOHN CLARK HIGDON', a citizen of the United States, and a resident Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Wheels, of which the followingfi's a speciication containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accom panying draw'ngs, forming a part hereoi.'

My invention relates to automobile-wheels; and it consists of a novel construction and arrangement hereinafter specified, and pointed out in the claims.

obj ect of my invention is to provide an improved mechanism whereby motive ower common uggy and wagon wheels in order that said vehicles guay be very quickly converted into automoiles.

In' thedrawings, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the inner side ,of a common vehi cle-wheel with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical enlarged section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is va detail view of which incloses the hub and the clamping means for securing the gear-socket thereto.

In carrying'out my invention I prefer to apply the same to what are Sarve'n atent wheels, Ias 'such are provided with iiubs which are incased in metal.

1 indicates a wheel having the usual spokes 2, wooden hub 3, and'metalcasing 4, icasing the wood portion of the hub.

' 5 indicates the usual axle.

6 indicates a geanwheel which in this instance is providedwith sprocket-teeth 7 at its periphery to be engagedby the sprocket-chain 8 for'the purpose of applying said Wheel. The body of the wheel 6 and the annular portion 9, carrying the teeth 7, may of course be formed integral or they may be in separate pieces and secured together by bolts or rivets 10. In the latter case the united parts are preferably rabbeted together, as shown in Fig. 2, and the bolts or rivets 10 are passed through the overlapping flanges. 5 By this construction I can readily increase or decrease the' diameter of the gear-wheel by merely removing the teethcarrying annular 'Ting 9 and replace the same wit i one having a greater external diameter. Projecting from one side of the said gear-wheel body is an outwardly-flaring socket 11, which fits over the inner end of the hub and'is clamped a portion of the metal casing.

Aknown as the power to the l fied. l

thereon by means of the screws or Abolts 12, which are threaded through the thickest portion of the said socket at a point near the body of the gear-wheel, and the inner ends vof said screws are preferably rounded, so that they will project slightly within the outer ends of the corresponding holes or recesses- 13, formed inthe metal hub-casing .11. The' rounded ends of said screws are forced into the said holes 13, and thereby prevent the socket and gear-wheel from turning on said hub and also prevent its axial withdrawal therefrom. I have found that by making the holes 13 slightly smaller than the rounded ends of the screws I get better clamping results than if the holes were largeenough to freely receive the screws. The said socket 1 1 and the gear-Wheel 6 are preferably formed integral, as shown. The outer end of the socket `11 has a greater diameter than its inner end and preferably lrests in contact with the adjacent metal spok -flange 14.

By means of the motive power may be readily applied to the Wheels'of a common buggy or wagon, and such vehicles maybe readily convertedinto automobiles, it being only necessary to connect the'chain 8 to a suitable motor carried by the vehicle. v

1, In an automobile, a hub-clamp in the form of a flaringl socket clamped upon the inner end of a vehicle-hub independently of the wheel-spokes, and a toothed wheel carried by said socket; substantially as specified.

2. In an automobile, a toothed wheel havdevices above described 5 ing an outwardly-Haring socket on one of its sides for engaging the hub of a vehicle-wheel, and means for clamping the same upon said hub; substantially as specified,

3.' In an automobile, a toothed wheel havinv an outwardly-flaring. socket on one of its si es for engaging the hub of a vehicle-wheel, and radial screws, or bolts, for clamping the saine upon said hub independeruzlyv of the Wheel-spokes; substantially as specified.

4. In an automobile, the combination with a vehicle-wheel having a metallic hub, in the eriphery of which are formed restricted idoles, or openings, of a toothed wheel having at one side an outwardlydiaring clampingsocket, and screws threaded hthrough said socket and engaging the said restricted openings in the said hub; substantially as speci- 5. In an automobile, the combination with IOO ' a vehel'elwhe'el having a metallic hub, -in the ,-througlthe verippingwabheted 'pemsj sub f eriphery` of Whih gre formed restrieted stantiflly asspec Led; oles, or darlings, ofwtoothed-Wheel having In testim o ny whereof I have signed 'my 'at' one' si e an; outwardly-flaring"clamping: name go this-specifcation in presence'of "kwa 5 socket, screwsthreadedy through 'said"socket subscribing witnesses.

and enaging thesaid'restrieted opehigsn JOHN CLARK- HIGDON.

the sai hub, fa detachable ring carrying' the Witnesses:

` teeth of said gear-wheel detachably rabbeted M. P. SMITH, t0 the body, and bolts, or rivets, 4passing E. M. HARRINGTON. 

